St. Joseph's Convent and School

St. Joseph's Convent and School
The convent building; the school is immediately adjacent
Location Lowell, Massachusetts
Coordinates 42°39′2″N 71°19′20″W / 42.65056°N 71.32222°WCoordinates: 42°39′2″N 71°19′20″W / 42.65056°N 71.32222°W
Built 1883
Architect Morin, F.X.,
Architectural style Colonial Revival, Italianate
Governing body Private
NRHP Reference # 02000789[1]
Added to NRHP July 19, 2002

St. Joseph's Convent and School is a historic convent and school at 517 Moody Street in Lowell, Massachusetts. The school is a three story brick building built in 1883. Its Italianate styling includes an extended wooden cornice decorated with brackets. The convent, built in 1911, is a modestly-ornmanented Colonial Revival three story brick building. Most of the interiors of the buildings were significantly altered over the course of the 20th century, losing most of their historical integrity; however, a 2001 rehabilitation has reintroduced interior styling in keeping with the age and style of the buildings.[2]

The school is distinctive historically as the first school established by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston to cater specifically to French Canadians, who had settled in large numbers in Lowell. The convent was built to house nuns who taught at local Catholic schools. By the 1980s enrollments had declined, and the school was closed in 1993.[3] The buildings have been rehabilitated by a local nonprofit organization.

The buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.[1]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15.
  2. ↑ "NRHP nomination for St. Joseph's Convent and School". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2014-04-02.
  3. ↑ "MACRIS inventory record for St. Joseph's Convent and School". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2014-04-02.